Anderson was elected to
Craigavon Borough Council as an
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) representative for the
Portadown DEA in the
2001 Council election. Anderson resigned from the UUP ahead of the
2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election, and stood as an independent candidate in
Upper Bann, polling 581 votes (1.34%). Before the
2005 local elections, he joined the
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He retained his council seat in that election. Anderson has also served as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of
Craigavon Borough Council. Regarding the choice, Anderson said "I want first of all to pay tribute to both Robert and Philip who were both very able candidates. It would have been a pleasure to have had either of them at the Assembly and to have worked on their behalf." Anderson was subsequently re-elected to Craigavon Borough Council election at the
2011 local elections, topping the poll in the Portadown District. He was a member of the All Party Group on Neurology, Public Accounts Committee and Committee for Justice in the Assembly. He had been a member of the Committee for Social Development, Committee for Employment and Learning and Committee on Standards and Privileges. Anderson did not seek re-election at the
2017 assembly election. He was later elected onto
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council in the
2019 local elections, representing Portadown again. He retired as a councillor at the
2023 local elections. ==References==